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The Tonga answer to the Pitau at London Sevens qualifier question
Tonga boss Tevita Tuifua has revealed he won’t be getting out his contacts book to call in star reinforcements for the upcoming London Sevens. The Pacific Island nation qualified for the May 20/21 tournament at Twickenham after being crowned 2023 Sevens Challenger Series champions in Stellenbosch last Sunday.
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That title success has progressed them to a four-team qualifier that will have a coveted place on next season’s revamped World Rugby Sevens elite circuit up for grabs. It’s a prize that would transform the sevens set-up for Tonga, generating additional funding and inspiring the next generation.
However, despite this massive incentive of potentially making it through to the top tier, head coach Tuifua will resist the temptation to add some stardust to the squad that successfully came through two weeks of action in South Africa.
The likes of Piutau and Malakai Fekitoa – the latter already took part in a 2021 Olympics Sevens qualifier in France – are nearing the end of their respective domestic campaigns at Bristol and Munster before they change clubs for next season, but Tonga coach Tuifua will keep faith with the squad that did the business in Stellenbosch, winning the first-leg title and finishing runners-up to Belgium in last Sunday’s second leg decider.
Asked by RugbyPass in the Tonga dressing room at the end of the tournament if he would be putting the feelers out to the stars for London, Tuifua answered: “I think they have another calling in the 15s at the moment [Piutau is part of the World XV playing the Barbarians on May 28 in London]. They have their own calendar, but we have enough boys and I believe we can do the job. I am trusting the process with the current group that we have.”
The highlight of finals day so far in Stellenbosch, Tonga celebrating their qualification for the London 7s! #7sChallengerSeries #HSBC7s #WorldRugby7s pic.twitter.com/iZeGixeAm4
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 30, 2023
Why wouldn’t he given the commitment they have put in to qualify Tonga for the top tier of World Sevens? With their two-week stay in South Africa now complete, the squad have now flown home before reassembling again later this month for the London series.
“As a group, everyone has their own full-time job at home so they pretty much have to go back to where they are located around New Zealand, Australia and of course in Tonga and then we come together again and travel,” explained the coach who took charge in 2018 and has overseen all the encouraging recent progress despite the pandemic.
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“There is a pressure on us with the time that we have and the travel we have. We have to go home now for a week or so, so it is just more about managing our group. They are all in a good space at the minute. There is a good spirit in the group and it is doable. We can’t wait to get across to London and start our preparations.
“In the past three years, it is just more for me trying to manage how things are working and it is tough because everyone is all over the place and I can’t rely on just one place for selection. Together it is about the development of the group, and so far from day one in 2018 we still have four or five guys.
“It has been years of sacrifices made by our group and while trying to manage them remotely is not easy, I am chuffed we have pulled things together. For our team, it is half the job done. We will never jump ahead of ourselves but we have managed to qualify from here [the Challenger Series] and it is massive, not only for the team but for the country behind us.
“Especially for the next generation in the programme, Tonga rugby and Tongan people around the world, it is an opportunity for our kids in our country to be able to be up on the world stage, testing ourselves against the best.
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“We have always made sacrifices for the opportunity to make the World Series. Unfortunately, we have fallen in the last two that we participated in, but we pray we pull it off this time.”
When Tonga were on song in Stellenbosch they were an unstoppable force, but they were times when they switched off and were caught napping. Chile beat them with a final play score in a pool match last Friday, and they then couldn’t recover from a fast Belgium start in Sunday’s final.
“What we have done as a group is we are more focused on ourselves than on the opposition. It is my job to do the review of the opposition, their job is to look at what they need to improve as a group and as an individual. It has been coming along so far so good.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
8 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
4 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
8 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
13 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
13 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
4 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
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